CNR
Consiglio Nazionale delle ricerche
The National Research Council (CNR) is the largest public research body in Italy. Its task is to perform scientific research in the main sectors of knowledge and to promote innovation, internationalization and competitiveness of the industrial system. The mission of the Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (CNR-IBBR) aims to: (i) increase the knowledge in basic biology, focusing on the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms underlying functioning, adaptation, reproduction, evolution and environmental relationships of biological systems; (ii) safeguard bioresources and their sustainable management in agricultural, agri-food, environmental fields for human health purposes.
The main research areas at CNR-IBBR are: (i) model species research; (ii) bioresources and sustainability; (iii) biotechnology and plant breeding; (iv) biomolecule engineering and biotechnology; (v) nutraceutics and human health.
CNR-IBBR hosts one of the largest seedbanks in Europe (about 60,000 accessions – https://ibbr.cnr.it/mgd), and maintains several important in vivo and ex-situ research collections of hundreds of different organisms (crop species, crop wild relatives, forest and fruit trees, bacteria, fungi, nematodes, etc.) with the aim of studying and preserving their functional biodiversity and assessing their response to biotic and abiotic environmental factors.
Role in PRO-GRACE
CNR-IBBR is responsible for deliverable D5.1 'Gap analysis of the present European Research Infrastructre (RI) ecosystem, including an analysis of the possible synergies with existing RIs' within WP5 (Leader: ECPGR) which aims at filling the present gaps on plant genetic resources (PGRs) and avoiding overlaps and duplications with the current European RIs. CNR-IBBR also collaborates with project partners involved in WP1 (Plant genetic resources inventory and information systems), WP2 (Quality-certified ex situ and in situ management), WP4 (Plant genetic resources evaluation and valorization) and WP6 (Communication, dissemination, exploitation and training), to achieve the final goal of transforming seedbanks, in situ and on-farm collections of crop species into a network of bio-digital resource centres for future food safety and production.
Main Contacts
